Dec. 19, 2008
Box Score
BALTIMORE, MD – La Salle Women’s Basketball had four players reach double figures, led by Morgan Robertson's sixth double-double of the season to register a 75-63 victory at Loyola (MD) in non-conference action Friday night at Reitz Arena.
Robertson scored 19 points and added 10 rebounds, while Ashley Gale added a season-high 17 points with a career-high tying three steals. Margaret Elderton chipped in 13 points and a career-high eight assists, while Jamie Walsh scored 12.
It marked the third time this season La Salle has had four players in double figures – they are 3-0 – and improved to 9-1 all-time versus the Greyhounds.
Robertson started out hot for La Salle, scoring the first two baskets – the second tying the score at four-all, but five quick points by the Greyhounds put them up 9-4 just three minutes into the game.
La Salle reeled them back in, starting with an Elderton jumper, followed by a Robertson lay-up, a Walsh steal and fast-break lay-up, and when Gale connected on her first three of the night at the 14:45 mark, it was tied at 13.
Loyola (MD) (6-4) used a 9-2 run over the next five minutes to build its largest lead of the game at seven, with Siobhan Prior scoring seven of her team-high 16 points in the span, the last a three that gave the Greyhounds a 22-15 lead with 9:57 left until the break.
The Explorers responded with an Antonia Gale three and slowly chipped into the deficit. Robertson scored eight straight Explorer points to pull them to within 28-26, but a Loyola (MD) burst – a 6-1 run – put them back up seven.
Ashley Gale hit another three and Elderton scored on a driving lay-up with 40 seconds before intermission to pull La Salle to within two, 34-32, and the teams then headed into the locker rooms.
Loyola (MD) shot 59.3% in the first half (16-27) and at one point was 12-17 (70.6%) as they built their first-half advantage. Robertson led all players at the break with 17 points and had a game-high tying four boards.
The teams came out in the second half on a scoring frenzy, as Loyola (MD) scored on five of its first eight possessions, however, the Explorers – who failed on their first two trips – scored on their next eight trips.
On the fourth, Ashley Gale hit a jumper to give La Salle its first lead since the first 20 seconds of the contest, at 41-40, and on the eighth Jenna Gilbert knocked down a three, which put the Explorers up four.
At the 12:17 mark, Walsh hit a jumper to put La Salle up six at 51-45, but Loyola (MD) used a 7-1 run to knot the game back up and with 8:10, after a Candice Walker three, the score was tied again for the eighth time at 57-all.
La Salle responded with four straight points, answered by another Walker three, but at the 5:41 mark Walsh knocked down her 100th career three in the Blue and Gold. That basket sparked a 10-0 La Salle run that put them up 11 with 3:55 left after an Ashley Gale steal and lay-up.
The Explorers held the Greyhounds to just three points over the game’s final six minutes to close out the victory. They also shot 61.5% in the second half and 52.6% for the game to register their highest output of the season.
Antonia Gale scored eight points off the bench – a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor, including a pair of threes, while Gilbert tied her season-high with eight rebounds with five points.
Robertson is currently tied with Xavier’s Ta’Shia Phillips for most double-doubles this season, and her six are the second-most by a player that finished their career this decade.
La Salle (6-5) returns home for its last game before taking a week off for the holiday, hosting Rider on Sunday at 1 PM at Tom Gola Arena.
